


Piece by Piece

by BlaiddDrwg1982



Series: This is the Soundtrack of Our Life [28]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Family Custody Verdict, M/M, Married Couple, That Damn Radio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 00:39:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12096909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlaiddDrwg1982/pseuds/BlaiddDrwg1982
Summary: Lives find their own way of making their own paths. Sometimes things are pushed at you out of the blue. Somethings you don't ask for. Somethings come back at you when you least expect it. And sometimes you have to build your world.





	Piece by Piece

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TVTime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVTime/gifts).



> I own neither the Teen Wolf characters nor the wonderful song by Kelly Clarkson.
> 
> Kelly Clarkson - Piece by Piece. 
> 
> This is also my first Song Fic with the Ethan and Jackson pairing. Be gentle in the comments.

Ethan sat in the hallway at the courthouse, waiting with sweating palms and the occasional nervous tick in his jaw. 

Between leaving and returning to Beacon Hill, Aiden had managed to get someone pregnant. Just after she’d given birth to a healthy baby girl, the Oni had killed Aiden, never even getting the chance to meet his daughter. Ethan had gone to visit and tell her about Aiden’s passing, and had kept in touch, sending what money he could, not that she needed it, and whenever he was in town he spent as much time as he could with his niece. She was, in truth, the only family he had left.

At least, that he spoke to. 

The mother had reached out to him and admitted that things weren’t going so well for her in the health department. She had discussed with Ethan that should anything happen to her, she wanted Emily to live with him, as long as he promised to settle down. He didn’t have to stop moving around. She knew as an Omega, and given his and Ethan’s past, it wouldn’t be safe to permanently settle down just yet. But he had to find his way in the world, on a path that would let her little girl thrive. It took only one look at the then 6 month old to make a promise to make that change.

Two weeks later he was, in essence, a single father. 

At first nervous, the little girl had worked her way into his heart, and when she came to live with him full time it seemed like his life was finally worth while. He’d never known the simple bliss of domestics, having lived his life largely on the road. Their mom had tried, but after their dad left, it was all but gone. After they’d grown and become werewolves, and through the abuses they’d suffered, he didn’t think he’d get that life…didn’t think he’d deserved it.

Looking at the now 18 month asleep in her stroller, curled up with a stuffed owl, he adjusted the blanket and was rewarded by a sleepy smile and a tighter squeeze on the owl.

Now. Now he was fighting for this piece or normalcy like his life depended on it. 

After hearing that he had a grand daughter, his and Aiden’s father was suddenly back in the picture. Emily’s life came with a tremendously large trust fund, with a maintenance fee paid out to her trustee until she was of age.

The custody was being contested due to Ethan’s domestic situation. On the one hand it was nothing to do with him being a werewolf, on the other…it was ironic that the little bit of human that remained in him was likely the source of the issue.

The door opened to the conference room where the hearing was being finalized. His father was sitting there, talking to his attorney. Getting to his feet, his party walked ahead of him, allowing him to take one more look at his sleeping niece, who he felt was more like a daughter.

_And all I remember is your back_   
_Walking towards the airport, leaving us all in your past_   
_I traveled fifteen hundred miles to see you_   
_Begged you to want me, but you didn't want to_

Sitting down across from his father, he turned his left hand palm up subconsciously, relaxing as it was grasped firmly, the heat radiating from it grounding him to focus on the here and now.

_But piece by piece he collected me_   
_Up off the ground where you abandoned things, yeah_   
_Piece by piece he filled the holes_   
_That you burned in me at six years old_   
_And you know,_   
_He never walks away_   
_He never asks for money,_   
_He takes care of me_   
_He loves me_

Giving a small smile to the left, he felt the glare from across the table. Ethan didn’t care. 

_Piece by piece he restored my faith_   
_That a man can be kind and a father could... stay_

The judge looked at the collected group. There was a scent of a Were on her, which was very helpful. Emily was still too young to really be able to tell, but the offspring of a Werewolf and a Werefox was likely some form of shifter. 

“I’ll be very honest Mr. Anderson. I’m quite shocked you’d have the…impetus…to reach out to your son and petition for custody of your grand daughter after being absent since your own children were 6 years old. The fact things have gotten this far and you’re sitting in this room at all points to either you being very well connected, or some obscure loophole you’re hoping to exploit and praying I don’t sew shut.

The judge…didn’t much care for his father either.

_And all of your words fall flat_   
_I made something of myself and now you wanna come back_   
_But your love—it isn't free, it has to be earned_   
_Back then I didn't have anything you needed so I was worthless_

“Further to that, in your petition, you cite that your surviving son’s life is not conducive to raising a child, but you have left out anything other than the fact your son is in a domestic relationship with another member of his same gender. I don’t think I should have to point out how that argument is in no way indicative of pointing out a bad home environment, if anything it validates that she is in a stable household with two loving parents.”

Ethan smirked and squeezed his partner’s hand.

_But piece by piece he collected me_   
_Up off the ground, where you abandoned things, yeah_   
_Piece by piece he filled the holes_   
_That you burned in me at six years old_   
_And you know,_   
_He never walks away_   
_He never asks for money,_   
_He takes care of me_   
_'Cause he loves me_   
_Piece by piece he restored my faith_   
_That a man can be kind and a father could stay_

“Mr. Anderson. It is the considered opinion of this court…

_Piece by piece_

“That Emily not only remain with her Uncle Ethan per her mother’s wishes…

_Piece by piece_

“But we are also finding in favour of Mr. Anderson-Whittemore and granting a cease and desist order…

_Piece by piece_

“And a restraining order requiring you to keep your distance from all of them.”

_Piece by piece_

Turning to address Ethan, Jackson, and their lawyer, who also happened to be Jackson’s father. 

_Piece by piece_   
_Piece by piece_

“I’m sorry that things were brought this far, and that your lives have been disrupted because of this. Having read the reports.”

The judge favoured them with a warm smile, eyes glowing red for just a moment.

_Piece by piece I fell far from the tree_   
_I will never leave her like you left me_   
_And she will never have to wonder her worth_   
_Because unlike you I'm going to put her first_   
_And you know,_

“You are both doing an amazing job with her. Jackson, coming into a family relationship and marrying Ethan, giving Emily the type of life a wonderful and inquisitive little girl deserves is a rare thing.” 

_He'll never walk away,_   
_He'll never break her heart_   
_He'll take care of things,_   
_He'll love her_   
_And piece by piece he'll restore my faith_   
_That a man can be kind and a father should be great_

Turning back to Ethan’s father, her warm matronly smile disappeared. His own eyes glowed a faint blue.

“Go.”

_Piece by piece_   
_Piece by piece_   
_Piece by piece_

As the judge rose, so did the collective room. Ethan’s father cast a glare over his retreating shoulder. Feeling a flood of tears pour down his face, he felt Jackson pull him into a tight hug, kissing him through his own tears. It was over. It was finally over. They could finally continue building their life.

Piece by piece.

**Author's Note:**

> Gifted to someone who wrote a superb Ethan/Jackson fic that somehow gave me a tingle in the back of my mind to write something along these lines. The song came later.
> 
> Please don't hate it. LOL. 
> 
> For those interested
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: http://blaidddrwg1982.tumblr.com/  
> or Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlaiddDrwg1982


End file.
